Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1887-06-10

| OVERWHELMINGLY Ports CT q; NJ
Ns NJ syA hfties, are still well
""'aesa$aagM NeSW RENE m bered by
GEN D. H. sTRoTHER. many old and mid
die aged ladies and gentlemen, and give de-
light to the young reader who burrows into
the old and time stained pages of the maya
zines. s#*
A modest, retiring MANTLE author of
those pages-he has been but little heard of
in the public prints the past dozen years, and
aft " a life of interesting events lives quietly
in his old Virginia home-an artist, an au-
thor, a traveller, something Of musician,
then for five years soldier in defense of his
country when all of his kindred but one were
on the other side and still later diplomat
for period of seven years, and now plain
| Virginia gentleman, passing the sunset of his
life in this quaint old place that has long been
SO dear to him. He has twice been married,
and has two children. His eldest is the wife
of John Brisban Walker, formerly brilliant
| journalist of Washington, now wealthy
business man Of Denver, Colo, and the other
an interesting son of sixteen years. Mr.
Strother resides with his wife and son in a
| house that has long been his home. In speak
ing of his age and health few days ago, he
said Il am bound to believe the Bible, and
am convinced that was born about the hour
Of 1880 o'clock in the morning, on Sept. 49,
| 1916, and am consequently 70 years of age
l weigh 100 pounds in my summer toggery,
walk my five miles without fatigue, and am
not conscious of any pains, aches or discom-
forts whatsoever. The fact being entered in
my venerated fathers handwriting, it cannot
be disputed that I have accomplished the
three score and ten years allotted to mans
| life; but the labor and sorrow pertaining
thereto have not yet taken hold of me, for at
present my days pass in cheerful tranquility,
never before experienced"
| Gen. David Hunter Strother was born in
| Virginia. His father, who had been an Off
Ger in the war of 1872, was man of great
| Independence of thought with stern, I'M
| compromising sense of duty, and was some
what unhappy over the artistic tendencies dis
played by his only boy. Nevertheless, he
sent his son to Now York. where he was
taken in charge by Professor Morse. then
| somewhat erratic artist, afterwards to become
the famous inventor of the telegraph. Later
on trip to Europe was made, and four years.
study in Rome and other European countries
broadened the culture of the Young man and
gave opportunities to youth naturally of an
observing turn of mind and prone to philoso-
phize on what he saw. Then came a return
to Virginia and trip to the west and south,
and about this time the first pu' ,ished
sketches. The Hon. John P Kennedy, of
Baltimore, who was then in his heyday as the
author Of Horseshoe Robinson" and other
then very popular works, was a warm friend.
but undertook to dissuade his cousin from
entering upon literary career. But the first
numbers of 1.-THE Virginian Canaan very
quickly settled the question of the Young AL
thors talent and by their popularity attested
that his pen and pencil had a charm that few
others possessed
IN but few years Porte Crayons name was
household word wherever Harper's Maya
zihe Went, and where was that not in those
daEss de was their highest paid contributor
ann beloved from one end of the country to
the other for his charm and grace Then
| came the John Brown thunderbolt which fell,
upon Harper's Ferry. Porte Crayon. living
near by, was on the ground within a few
hours, and then and for the weeks which fol-
lowed sketched the leading events and philoso
phzed on the social problems which he was
then compelled to consider. Virginia and
Tradition We're at his back. Before his face
the question of whether all men had indeed
oeei created Tree and equal, or if not what all
unao declaration by his forefathels meant.
The dllettante artist became a changed man
Life had assumed more serious phase in b;s
own home than he had yet been called mon
to consider either in Europe or America ri.
mlnd was made up. He beheld the approach
OF the inevitable struggle. He was very near
tne pofder and he organized and equipped at
us own expense company Of his Virginia
to"hsmen, To whom he preached the doctrine
OF tue Union. But his efforts were useless
ana when the struggle actually came local
preJudlces and state pride carried his carefully
drilled contingent into the Confederate ranks
while their commander was Obliged to bprry
off in the night to Washington. In the bnsv
days that followed he found himself ON the
stan OF Gen. Mcclellan, riding hard during
the DAY and sitting down on a battlefield
or IN a deserted farm house at night to write
out In extenso the experiences of the dav--
many Times seizihg lull in the battle to
ara" OUT DIS sketch book and put on Da- y.
Ihe narrowing scenes OF the field This was
work which no labor or fatigue or dance
ever caused him to neglect, and while his VA
sketches remain among the most interesting
relics OF that PERIOD his diary, if given IN the
public, would prove among the most vol,oIIo
contributions to the history of the war
upon efen McClellan's departure for tbo |
James he went with Pope, and later ON 90
companied Gen. Banks to New Orleans 81
upon the I'll fated Red River expedition 70.
turning later to become chief of STAFF tn bic |
cousin, Gen. David Hunter, in his camno;g,
up the valley. "a. campaign
After the war. declaring himself in se,ro,,
only OF q9iet and peace, he repaired his rnined
home and sat down under the trannn;, " n,e
and broad spreading trees of Rerkdai Iir ntL,
was visited from time to time by his co,ar ana
IONS OF the war, watching with irtarost ~
problems OF reimbursement In 1871 Pres;,,' sne
M 1ayes onersd hum the consular generalship to
Mexico, and he found life at the Mari,a "
capital sufficiently pleasant to devota e sa
years there. And finally he is bacls ;n len
pcioved virginia. The accompanvin,, -, r us
sfa;t sketchls made from photocrsphs td ii'',
~ GEoRGR H. YExowtsr |